My Skin Care Regimen

11:50 AM


I'm sooo not the expert on the topic, but since my Made From Earth review I've been getting a lot of requests to spill the beans on my regimen. Like I told you guys before....I have acne prone and oily skin. There's no cure for acne you just have to learn how to maintain it. Last October my skin began breaking out really bad. From tiny pimples to big mosquito bite looking bumps, I had them all. The Clean and Clear cleanser wasn't doing enough to clear my skin, so I quickly made an appointment with a dermatologist. After going over my issues with her she prescribed Duac Gel and Differin Gel. Both of these gels helped me tremendously through my teenage years so I was confident that they would clear up my skin.

Once I got the gels I decided to change up my cleanser as well. After watching MopTopMaven's oil cleansing tutorial I decided to ditch the Clean & Clear, for a more natural approach to cleansing my skin. Since it was my first time try the OCM I used MopTop's exact oil mixture, which was Castor, Grapeseed and Hazelnut Oil. After a week of using the mix morning and night my acne got worse! I starting getting tiny bumps around my hair line and my face was super oily. After more trial and error and after much time on the net trying oils more suited to my needs, I finally found a mix that consistently keeps my skin clear. I use a 50/50 mix of Sweet Almond Oil and Grapeseed Oil.....that's it! It's light yet effective and is moisturizing without making my face oily/greasy. Here's my skin regimen...

Morning:
Cleanse with oil mix
Cold water rinse
Apply Witch Hazel as a toner (when necessary)
Moisturize with Neutrogena Visibly Even SPF 30 (currently in love with the Made From Earth moisturizer sample....ugh why can't it be cheaper lol)
Spot treat any breakouts with Duac gel

Night:
Cleanse with oil mix
Cold water rinse
Moisturize with Rose Hip Seed Oil
Spot treat any breakouts with Differin gel

**Every now and then I do a Bentonite Clay mask using water or apple cider vinegar...not often though. For acne scars I've been using Ambi Fade Cream, morning and night on my problem areas**

It may sound complicated, but the more you do it the simpler it gets and my skin is thanking my for making such an effort. The key to being successful with the OCM is finding the right mix for YOU, not just what someone else swears by. For more info on oil cleansing try these searches HERE and  HERE and HERE. To purchase the oils mentioned my fav online shops are CamdenGrey.com or LuckyVitamin.com....the have the best prices!

One thing I would like to try more is steam treatments. I have the facial attachment that comes optional with the Huetiful Hair Steamer and I've only used it once, but I loved it! And even though the setup is super easy I'm to lazy to attach the thing lol! If I start using regularly I'll keep you guys updated :)

What makes your face happy??

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  1. I've had oily skin and acne since puberty and removing dairy products from my diet has done wonderful things for my complexion. I recommend that anyone with acne prone skin--especially large pus-filled pimples--try it for 2 weeks without changing your wash regimen or diet. I guarantee that it'll be the cheapest acne solution that you've ever tried! No more pimples and no more mirror-ball oily skin!

    Another thing that I'd recommend for those who like sweets is to switch from candy and sugary drinks to desserts (with protein and fat). Desserts with protein and fat don't cause big spikes in blood sugar like candy does and doesn't cause breakouts for me.

    As far as products go, I cleanse with black soap or Burt's Bees Tomato Soap and moisturize with unrefined shea butter (pencil eraser size). Going dairy free and using shea butter has been great for me. My skin actually has a normal glow now instead of looking dull and dry or greasy.

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  2. @Applesauce I've been hearing about the non-dairy thing for a while.......but I love dairy products lol!! And sweets! I'm gonna give it it a try one of these days and I'll report back with any changes.
    Thanks for the info :)

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  3. The OCM helped me out a lot! I don't do it everyday though. I hardly ever use facial cleansers. I also have very little dairy in my diet, which has also helped me to acheive clearer skin.

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  4. Hey KKQ...thanks for the tips...I have really bad acne and horrible scars also. I just began using more natural methods to maintain my skin. For the past several months I use pure unrefined shea butter...cuz the shea butter has anti-bacterial properties plus extreme moisture locking properties...mixed with a little castor oil at night time...kinda as a mask...then I use my clarisonic mia in da morning to cleanse my skin..and so far I have little to no breakouts..Just havent found a more natural everyday cleanser...so I'm excited to try this oil mixture.

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  5. Thanks so much for sharing this. Do you wear makeup at all? And second question, do you do anything specific to treat marks from acne scars?

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  6. @GG I can't believe I forgot to mention ACNE SCARS...I have them too sis! Since February I've been using Ambi Fade Cream. I don't apply it all over my face, just on my chin and cheek areas. It's great for fresh scars, but older scars take longer to fade. I still have a few on my chin and cheek.

    I've never been heavy into makeup...it's always broken me out. A tinted moisturizer at the most but I haven't purchased any in a very longggg time. I'm a lip gloss and go type of girl lol!

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  7. @Anonymous I keep hearing about this Clarisonic thingy...I must look into it! Thanks for sharing :)

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  8. this sounds sooo do-able! thanks for this post.

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  9. Our skin seems very similar. May have to try your mix for the OCM. I just chalked up my little breakouts on the side to oils from my hair. But it could be the castor oil base. Can rosehip oil be found in stores?

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  10. @a.pierce1030 Thank You :)

    @Vetty Try your local Vitamin Shoppe...I believe they sell Rose Hip Seed Oil from Aubrey Organics.

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  11. Do you steam your face with a wash cloth like i've been reading on OCM or you just clean the oils off with cold water once you put them on? Just want to know if the steaming is not really necessary. Tnx!

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  12. Nice regimen!

    I wash with ABS, tone with an aloe vera/tea tree oil spritz and moisturize with shea butter. I do overnight spot treatment and (occasional) face masks with honey. It works well for my "normal"/dry skin.

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  13. I decided to try out an oil cleansing regiment this weekend since I had all the ingredients at home (castor oil, sweet almond oil and grapeseed oil) and I've been dedicating myself to finding more natural hair, skin and body options.

    I loved it. I did it on Saturday night after my makeup removal and (blend of: 60% castor oil, 20% sweet almond oil and 20% grapeseed oil) it was great. I did 3 warm compresses and then closed my pores with cold water, spritzed with witch hazel and followed up with my handmade cold cream (also grapeseed oil based).

    I woke up the next morning to baby smooth skin that I could visibly see a difference with. I did the same thing for my morning ritual and then put on my makeup and headed out. Had a SHINE FREE day. I can't tell you how hard this is. I have extremely oily skin. And to check my mirror when I normally have to blot and find nothing to blot...lets just say I'm now a true believer in this cleansing method.

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  14. I've been on duac and differin for quite some time now (over a year), just spot treating my forehead because of these incessant small bumbs. But, lately (the last 3 months) things have been going extremely well for me. I'm on an expensive Estee Lauder regimen that seems to work really well for me. So much so that I've removed the differin and only apply duac in the mornings. I'm going to see about incorporating the OCM. Who knows?! How much time before you saw improvements with it?

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  15. @MJ Thanks for sharing! Within a week I noticed a big difference in the look and feel of my skin. And just like you I no longer have to use the Duac and Differn gels in large areas...just in certain spots.

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  16. @Ravena Glad your enjoying it! Care to share your handmade cold cream recipe??

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  17. @KinkyKurlyQueen

    I wish I made my own cold cream, but this is handmade for me (cheap too!). Glorybeherbals on Etsy makes it for $5.50 per 4oz jar. You just convo her and tell her ipinkgirl sent you and that you want the grapeseed based cold cream (she makes it to order).

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  18. I SWEAR by my clairsonic with any cleanser, really (for me, it's either my black soap or Philosophy's Purity Made Simple). Then I apply Tea Tree essential oil on my face STRAIGHT UP! No diluting, just straight Tea Tree oil- maybe 20drops. It will burn a little, but it's tolerable. It absorbs super quickly. I then use aloe. Again, straight up aloe. The leaf that you find at the grocery store. I cut it up, and use the gel as moisturizer. Now, I am using a fade cream prescribed by my MD, so that's next. Lastly, I use my Clinique's City Block in spf40. This is long... SORRY! This is actually a short regimen. At night, it's the same thing, except no sun block. SO SORRY THIS TURNED INTO AN ESSAY!

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  19. @Adesuwa I like it when y'all write mini essays lol!! What's the name of the fade cream your doc prescribed?

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  20. I've been using organic apple cider vinegar on my face for approx. 3weeks, and I'm so pleased. I have oily/acne prone skin, & I do wear makeup. After washing my face with black soap, I soak a cotton ball with the ACV and clean my face again (only use ACV @ night b/c it smells). Then I apply vitamin E oil to moisturize. With this method, I've had less breakouts (the few that I've had are pretty much gone in no time), and I think my complexion is evening out. In the morning after I wash my face w/ black soap, I replace the ACV with Witch Hazel (no smell) and continue with the rest of my routine.

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  21. Hi KKQ,

    I've been following the MTM reg. as well and it hasn't given me the greatest results but I have yet to find an alternative so kept using it. I'm almost done with my mixture so I'll definitely be trying yours. The sweet almond oil will be less thick in comparison to the castor/hazelnut. Your skin looks great. Thanks for this post.
    I loaded up on my ayurvedic powders ($2 a box) earlier this month and the Hesh Skin Tone Up did everything it claimed: made my skin look soft, supple and minimized my pores drastically. I'll be doing it again this weekend using rose water this go round.
    The scent is very strong; you've been warned :-)

    Faith

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  22. oh yeah - go kkq -- yes light oils for oily acne prone skin, including hazelnut, apricot kernel, grapeseed and almond. Im glad you found the right blend. I have dry skin actually and this blend does not quench my skin's thirst - i use castor, olive and sesame oils and my skin really thanks me! Have you tried doing a rhassoul and yogurt mask on your hair and skin? This is my NEW all time favorite cleanser! it rids my hair of buildup, moisturizes, detangles, strengthens, AND the yogurt and rhassoul on my face is definitely helping fade scars. Hubby always sees a difference in my complexion when I do this regularly. Just my two cents. Love the blog btw! Oh, and when I am in a rush, sometimes I will mix rosewater, glycerin and two drops of lemon juice or essential oil in a spray bottle as a toner/moisturizer - also good for fading marks and rebalancing the skins ph.

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  23. @Lina40 I've never tried the Rhassoul on my face...What kind of yogurt do use mix it with?? I'll do a review of your mix, if I try it and give you credit! Thanks for the tips :)

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  25. love your blog! I always had clear skin until I turned 40 last year and was diagnosed with an illness. The various medications caused my skin to breakout. I tried Proactive and it seemed to work...slowly. Then, I read several reviews on African Black Soap from Coastal Scents. I ordered the soap and gave it a try. I tell you, my face was clear within a few days!!! The soap tingled a little(I left it on for 5 mins while brushing my teeth at night) Now, I'm using it all over my body. This soap is a an absolute blessing. My face is clear and the brown spots are fading super fast as well. Give it a try!@

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  26. I definitely dig the obsession with clear skin! I have a similar health blog and you just inspired me to post my clear skin regime!

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  27. Hi

    I'm new to your blog, been natural for 6yrs and have never been able to achieve such beautiful curls like in this pic. Would you please point me in the direction or link to the video or blog about this style or similar to it please. Thanks!!

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